Filling machines
A filling machine is a machine that doses a measured amount of liquid, paste or semi-solid product into containers such as bottles, jars, cans, cups, cartons or pouches. Filling sits at the start of the packaging station on dairy, beverage, sauce and many other lines. Product arrives from the process area, often from a buffer tank after pasteurisation or blending, and the filler doses it into containers that have been cleaned, rinsed or formed just before. After filling, containers are capped, sealed or seamed, coded, inspected and packed. On high-hygiene lines the filler is the point where treated product meets the container, so it must protect the product from contamination. Filling machines are grouped by the way they measure product. Gravity fillers let liquid flow into containers to a set level and suit still, thin liquids. Pressure-gravity or counter-pressure fillers keep carbonated drinks under pressure so they do not lose gas. Vacuum fillers draw product into the container and suit some bottles with fixed fill levels. Piston fillers use a cylinder to deliver a fixed volume and handle thick products such as sauces, creams and pastes, including those with particles. Flowmeter fillers measure volume electronically, and net-weight fillers weigh each container as it fills. Fillers are also classed by layout as linear machines, suited to lower speeds and flexibility, or rotary machines, suited to high speeds. Hygiene levels range from standard clean filling through ultra-clean to aseptic filling, where sterile product is filled into sterile containers in a sterile zone so it can be stored without refrigeration. Many fillers are combined with rinsers and cappers in a single block, and cup and carton fillers include forming and sealing in the same machine. Filling machines are used for milk and dairy drinks, yoghurt, cream, juices, soft drinks, water, beer, edible oils, sauces, dressings, honey, soups and baby food. Cost and performance depend on speed, fill accuracy, the range of containers and products handled, hygiene level, changeover time, cleaning-in-place integration and the equipment built around the filler.
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Buying criteria
Start with the product. Viscosity, particles, carbonation, temperature and foaming decide the filling principle. Test with your own product in your own containers. Set the hygiene level. Chilled, shelf-stable and aseptic products need very different filler designs and validation. Match the design to your product's safety requirements. Check accuracy and speed together. Fill accuracy at full speed reduces giveaway; ask for data from trials, not just rated figures. Look at changeovers and cleaning. Container size changes, format parts, cleaning-in-place, sterilisation and the time between cleans all affect usable output. Consider the full block: rinser, capper or sealer, coding and inspection. A single supplier for the block can simplify integration and service. Ask about fill-level or weight inspection after the filler, and how quickly format parts, spares and service engineers can reach your plant.
Buyers ask
How much does a filling machine cost?
It depends on the filling principle, speed, number of filling heads, hygiene level and the equipment integrated with it. A small linear piston filler costs far less than a high-speed rotary filler with rinser and capper, and aseptic fillers cost the most because of sterilisation systems and validation. Format parts for extra container sizes also add cost.
Which filling machine is best for thick products?
Piston fillers are the usual choice for thick or viscous products such as sauces, pastes, creams and products with particles, because the piston delivers a fixed volume regardless of how the product flows. Some thick products are also filled with pump or net-weight fillers, depending on accuracy and hygiene needs.
What is aseptic filling?
Aseptic filling places a commercially sterile product into sterilised containers inside a sterile filling zone, then seals them. The result can be stored at room temperature without preservatives. It is used for UHT milk, some juices, plant-based drinks and liquid foods.
What is the difference between a linear and a rotary filler?
A linear filler moves containers in a straight line under a row of filling heads and is flexible and easier to change over, which suits smaller outputs. A rotary filler carries containers around a rotating carousel, filling as they travel, which allows much higher and steadier speeds.